


cry for a garden you never watered

by lovelylupin101



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Character Death, Dryad!Sakusa, F/M, Fantasy AU, Heartbreak, M/M, Rejection, SakuAtsu, Unrequited Love, sakuatsu angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-17
Updated: 2021-03-17
Packaged: 2021-03-26 02:15:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,785
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30098763
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lovelylupin101/pseuds/lovelylupin101
Summary: When all the flowers wiltand all my leaves have fallenyou'll visit, just like you promisedand you'll cry for a garden you never watered.Fantasy AU where Atsumu meets Sakusa, a hamadryad that resides in the forest. As their friendship progresses, Sakusa finds himself in love with Atsumu.But a broken heart can wilt a flower.
Relationships: Miya Atsumu/Original Female Character(s), Miya Atsumu/Sakusa Kiyoomi
Comments: 1
Kudos: 3
Collections: SakuAtsuAngstWeek





	cry for a garden you never watered

**Author's Note:**

> Hii this was written for Sakuatsu Angst week 2021 day 6  
> i kinda wnated to make it more angsty but this js the best i could do haha

Atsumu met Sakusa in Spring. He was 8 years old and accidentally wandered into a part of the forest he was unfamiliar with. He called to his twin brother, but the only response he got was the chirping of birds. He had come out here with Osamu to explore the forest near their new home.  
Suddenly there was a pair of big, brown eyes staring at him.  
“Um, hello?” The pair of eyes disappeared behind a tree. Atsumu walked towards the stranger.  
In front of him stood an odd looking boy. He was green. Not the sort of green you would notice at first glance, but after looking at him for a while, he seemed to blend in with the greenery that surrounded them. He had a full head of black curls adorned with small white flowers. He stood wearing a simple white sort of shirt that came down to his knees. Looking at his arms, there seemed to be leaves coming out of his skin. His right hand was placed on the tree next to him, and the spot where hand and tree met seemed to melt together, like his hand was now part of the tree.  
“What are you?” Atsumu asked in awe. The boy, instead of answering, disappeared.  
He turned and entered the tree next to him. It was a fairly small tree compared to the rest of the ones in the forest. And the green boy had been absorbed by this tree. His skin turned to bark, and his limbs solidified. The last traces of him vanished as he fused with the tree, making it seem like he was never there to begin with.   
“Oi! What was that!” Atsumu was staring wide-eyed at the spot where the boy had previously stood. “Come out of there!” He kicked the tree. And the tree… kicked him back? A branch had suddenly leaned down and smacked him, leaving him even more awestruck than before. “Ow! You jerk!” He clenched his fist and hit the three. The tree continued to hit him back. Branch after branch after branch came down to smack and push Atsumu. “Stop it! Ow! I’m sorry, stop!”  
Suddenly the faint outline of a boy could be seen embedded in the bark of the tree. Part of the bark turned a soft green, resembling skin. The tree spit out the boy from earlier.  
“That’s what you get for kicking my tree,” the tree boy looked exasperated, crossing his arms and putting on his best intimidating face.  
“I’m sorry,” Atsumu sheepishly replied. He extended a hand, “I’m Miya Atsumu.” When the boy only stared at his hand in confusion, Atsumu continues, “yer supposed ta shake my hand.”  
The boy gingerly took his hand and shook it. “You talk funny,” was all he responded with.  
Atsumu ignored his statement, instead asking, “What’s your name?”  
“Sakusa Kiyoomi.”

-

“I’m Miya Atsumu.”  
Kiyoomi met Atsumu in Spring.   
There, in his forest stood a human boy. The human boy was talking to him. He’d never met a human before. Did they all talk this funny?  
He had dark hair and soft features. He was slightly taller that Kiyoomi, but nowhere near as tall as Kiyoomi’s tree. Humans were funny looking.  
“So… What exactly are you?” the boy, Atsumu, had asked, once again.  
Kiyoomi hesitated for a second before blankly responding, “I am a hamadryad.”  
Atsumu looked slightly confused. “A hama- what?”  
Kiyoomi sighed. “Hamadryad. A type of tree nymph.”  
Atsumu seemed to consider this. “So you live in this tree?”  
“Yes, my soul is tied to this tree.”  
“So can you control plants.”  
Kiyoomi stood there just staring at Atsumu for a long second, before sitting on the ground. Atsumu gave him a questioning look before following suit. Kiyoomi put his hand over the forest floor, and closed his eyes. After a few seconds, a small plant sprouted from underneath his palm. It continued to grow until a bud formed and, eventually, blossomed. It was a cute white daisy, like the ones in Kiyoomi’s hair.  
Atsumu looked at the flower in amazement. “That’s so cool Omi!” he exclaimed.   
“My name’s Kiyoomi.” Atsumu promptly ignored him, and instead plucked the flower. “Don’t pluck the flowers, it hurts them.”  
“Sorry, Omi, it's just that you made a really pretty flower.” The green hue of Kiyoomi’s face seemed to deepen for a second.  
“Bye the way, I kind of got here by accident, could you help me find the way back to the main path?”   
“Walk straight in that direction and you should be able to find the path again.” Kiyoomi pointed somewhere off into the woods, where he had noticed Atsumu come from.  
Atsumu gave him an appreciative smile. “Thank you, Omi.” He started to run in the direction Kiyoomi had pointed, before turning around and asking, “Can I come see you again?”  
Kiyoomi didn’t know how to respond. This boy wanted to see him again? He shrugged in response. “I suppose if you want to.”  
Atsumu’s smile widened. “Promise I’ll visit you soon, Omi.” And with that he turned around and walked away.

-

True to his word, Atsumu returned a few days later. “Omi?” he called out.  
A few seconds later, Kiyoomi appeared behind him. “Hi,” he giggled quietly as Atsumu jumped, startled.  
“Jeez, Omi, don’t go scarin’ me like that.”  
“Sorry,” Kiyoomi responded, not looking sorry at all.  
“Can you show me around the forest?” Atsumu asked excitedly.  
Kiyoomi wasn't too keen in sharing his home with a stranger, but he supposed Miya Atsumu looked quite harmless. So he agreed.  
They spent the day walking around the forest, Atsumu asking lots of questions, while Kiyoomi answered them. The clear blue sky started turning a hue of orange, and time seemed irrelevant to these two boys, until Atsumu remembered he had to be home by dinner.  
Atsumu said goodbye with the same words he had last time. “Promise I’ll visit you soon, Omi.”

-

Spring turned to Summer, and the Atsumu’s visits became a regular thing. Every Saturday, he would wander into the forest to spend a few hours with his new friend. Sometimes they would go down to the creek, Atsumu swimming around, while Kiyoomi mostly watched from the edge of the water.   
Spring brought a new friendship, Summer brought laughter, Fall brought chilly days spent playing in the fallen leaves. Kiyoomi's tree had taken a beautiful orange color.

-

When Winter came, Atsumu asked Kiyoomi, “Won’t you get cold out here?”  
“I don't feel the cold when I’m in my tree.”  
Even so, Atsumu brought him a yellow knitted blanket the next week. “Here, just in case ya get cold.”

-

Atsumu was now 16 and it was Spring once agai. He found Kiyoomi sitting under his tree, reading a book Atsumu had brought him the week prior. His tree now stood tall as the others. Streaks of early morning sunlight peeked through green leaves and blossoming flowers, showering Kiyoomi in golden light. His hair was longer but still adorned with the same white daisies. He lifted his head and focused his eyes on the blonde boy standing in front of him, holding a bag. Kiyoomi was wearing a white T-shirt and simple grey sweatpants, both of which Atsumu had brought him. He couldn't leave the forest, so Atsumu brought him things from time to time. He told Kiyoomi all about what it was like outside the small corner of nature that was Kiyoomi's home.  
“Look what I brought, Omi!” Atsumu excitedly exclaimed as he pulled out a small cake from the bag. It was green, decorated with flowers.   
Kiyoomi snorted slightly when he saw the cake, asking, “What’s this?”  
“A cake.”  
“Obviously, idiot. I meant what’s the occasion.”  
Atsumu brought out a picnic blanket, plates, forks, and two drinks. “We,” he sat down on the blanket, patting the ground beside him gesturing for Kiyoomi to join him, “are celebrating our 8th anniversary!” Kiyoomi just looked at him with a puzzled expression on his face. “C’mon don't you remember? We became friends 8years ago, right here.”  
“I suppose that is quite a while.” he said. He understood how time worked, but he had no need to keep track of it.  
“Sorry, I forgot 8 years is nothing for a tree” Atsumu said, rolling his eyes.  
Kiyoomi gave him a pointed look, “Just cut the damn cake, Miya.”  
They sat and ate their cake. They didn't talk much, but they didn't need to. After 8 years of their strange friendship, the silence that surrounded them was comfortable. All they could hear was that distant rushing of the stream, and birds chirping above them.  
Suddenly, Atsumu asked, “Have you ever been in love?”  
The question had caught Kiyoomi off guard, and he had to take a second to think. Sure he was in love with nature, and he was in love with his home, but he didn't really know what love was. He never knew what he was feeling, so he usually decided to ignore his feelings. “What does love feel like?”  
“Hmm. I guess it sort of makes ya feel all fuzzy and warm inside. You feel comfortable with the other person, and everything they do makes your heart race. And you get this strange feeling in your stomach. You want to be with them all the time because they make you feel safe.”  
“You're the only person I've ever known. Maybe I’m in love with you,” Kiyoomi said with complete sincerity. He did feel a lot of the things Atsumu had described. He was always awaiting Atsumu’s visits, and he was always a tiny bit sad when he left, promising to visit soon. Atsumu made him feel warm.  
“Don’t say stuff like that, Omi. We’re just friends.”   
Yeah. They were just friends. But why did those words leave a dull pain in Kiyoomis chest?  
“Anyway, I brought you something.” He pulled a small box out of the pocket of his blue hoodie. Inside the box was a small silver bracelet, with small mushroom charms hanging off it. It glinted in the sunlight. Kiyoomi extended an arm so that Atsumu could put it on him. The silver complimented his green skin perfectly.   
“It looks beautiful. Thank you, Tsumu.” Atsumu grinned at the rare nickname.  
“It’s almost time for me to go.” Atsumu went to stand up.   
“Before you go,” Kiyoomi started. He placed a hand over the ground and from the soil came a few beautiful red tulips. Kiyoomi gathered them and handed the tulip bouquet to Atsumu. “An anniversary gift.”  
Atsumu's cheeks were tinted pink. “Promise I’ll visit you soon, Omi.”

-

Fall came and the leaves turned orange and red once again. This time when Atsumu visited, Kiyoomi was already waiting for him.  
After a few minutes of walking, they came upon a clearing. Kiyoomi sat down, and Atsumu followed. There was a slight look of confusion on Atsumu's face, but he decided to just trust whatever the hamadryad had planned.   
Kiyoomi closed his eyes, putting on a look of deep concentration. Suddenly, flowers started sprouting all around Atsumu. Bursts of colors popped up from the soil, blooming into beautiful flowers. Green, red, pink, purple, there were rainbows encasing the boys, deep in their lonely forest. Beautiful plants of all sizes and colors surrounded the two boys, forming gorgeous patterns and dancing in the chilly Autumn wind. Even the trees that surrounded them became greener.   
“Happy Birthday, ‘Tsumu.” In that moment, Kiyoomi thought Atsumu looked prettier than any flower he could grow.

-

When Summer came, Atsumu seemed excited. “Guess what Omi? I went on a date with a girl from my class!”  
This surprised Kiyoomi a little. Atsumu often talked about his brother, and the rest of his teammates, but never about girls. “Oh? What’s she like?”  
“She's really pretty, and she’s kind. I think I’ll ask her to be my girlfriend.”  
“You're not boyfriend material, Miya”  
“Oh shut up, Omi,” he rolled his eyes, but his smile betrayed him. “Promise I’ll visit you soon, Omi.”

-

Atsumu didn't visit the following week.

-

“Sorry, Omi, I was on a date with [ ]”

-

“I asked her to be my girlfriend and she said yes!”  
…  
“Congratulations, Miya.”

-

Slowly, something seemed to shift. The seasons still changed. But Atsumu didn't visit as much anymore. 

-

The following Spring, Atsumu visited as usual. Except he wasn't alone.  
There was a gorgeous girl next to him holding his hand. They were looking at each other laughing.   
Kiyoomi watched from behind a tree, while Atsumu kissed her. “I wanted to bring you to my special place.” He gave her a red tulip. “I love you.”

-

Sakusa Kiyoomi's world started to crumble. Atsumu still visited him. Kiyoomi was still in love with him. And Atsumu would still never love him back.  
Watching someone you love, fall in love with someone else was weird. Kiyoomi wanted to see Atsumu happy. He also wished he was the one making Atsumu happy. He didn't want his only friend to end up leaving him.

-

Atsumu didn't visit on their 10th friendship anniversary. 

-

“Hey, Om-”  
“You missed our anniversary.”  
“Wha-?” Atsumu looked at him with a puzzled expression. “OH. Oh, I’m so sorry, Omi, I was busy and totally forgot.”  
He forgot.  
He forgot about Kiyoomi, because Kiyoomi was just that forgettable.   
“You rarely visit anymore.” Kiyoomi knew it was selfish to want Atsumu to visit him all the time, but he was starting to feel hurt.  
“Look, Omi, I’m really sorry. As I said I’ve been really b-”  
Kiyoomi cut him off, “So busy you forgot about our 10 year friendship mark?” He could see Atsumu's face scrunch up in confusion.  
“I didn't think it was such a big deal okay. I have things to do, I can't revolve my life over a tree boy.” Atsumu could feel the words leave his mouth and hang heavy in the air.  
“You're my only friend, Miya. Whenever you're not here, I get lonely, okay?” Kiyoomi's voice turned small while he admitted to his insecurities.  
Atsumu gave an awkward chuckle, “Jeez, Omi, yer making me feel bad.” He rubbed the back of his neck with his hand. “I'll come visit more often, since yer acting like yer in love with me,” he laughed.   
Kiyoomi just stared at him for a second. “Would that be bad?” he asked.  
“Hm?”  
“Would it be bad if I was in love with you?” he repeated his previous question. Atsumu's eyes widened. Kiyoomi had never interacted with anyone other than Atsumu, so he was very straight forward, not caring for social cues.  
Atsumu hesitated in answering. “Are you?”  
“I think so.”  
“It would never work. You're a tree and I- I have a life outside this forest, and you could never fit into the world I'm from and I-I’m already in love with someone else,” Atsumu rambled on, making gestures with his hands.  
Kiyoomi just stood there, expressionless. “Ok. Promise you'll visit soon, ‘Tsumu.”

-

Sakusa Kiyoomi's world had finally crumbled. 

-

It was now Winter, and Atsumu had not visited Kiyoomi since Spring. Kiyoomi's state was reflected on his tree. Bare of leaves, dry and weak. Kiyoomi looked sickly. The cold stung Kiyoomi's skin, he wasn't sure he could feel his hands anymore. Both the boy and the tree were barely hanging on.   
Kiyoomi could feel something inside him start to freeze over. He decided to enter his tree. Something felt different. He felt at peace. He wasn't sure he had the energy to get out of his tree, even if he wanted to. He felt more connected to his tree than even. His skin turned to bark and the blood in his veins froze. He felt at home.

-

Sakusa never came out of the dead tree.

-

Spring came and brought life to the forest. It brought blooming flowers and clear skies. It brough Miya Atsumu.  
He stood in front of what used to be a tall, strong tree. It was nothing more than a big, dry twig.  
It would’ve been their 11th year together. They could've still celebrated their friendship if Atsumu hadn't abandoned Kiyoomi.  
But Sakusa Kiyoomi was dead. The man who stuck by Atsumu's side for so many years.   
Suddenly the forest full of life seemed dull and Atsumu hated everything that lived in it.  
He sat under what remained of Kiyoomi's tree. It hurt so much. He’d wanted to tell Kiyoomi he loved him. He had planned everything out. He would confess and they would kiss and they would be happy and Atsumu would always visit him and Kiyoomi was dead. He wanted to embed the image of that magical boy inside his mind forever. 

“Promise I’ll visit you soon, Omi, wherever you are, I promise I’ll find you.”

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading, kudos and comments are appreciated !!  
> hope you enjoyed:)


End file.
